TAKE PRIDE IN AMERICA® ANNOUNCES
2006
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERSOutstanding Public Lands Volunteers, Groups and Partnerships
to be Honored with Annual Award

WASHINGTON – Executive Director Michelle Cangelosi announced today the recipients of the 2006 Take Pride in America National Award in a variety of categories. The award winners were selected for their outstanding volunteer efforts on Federal, state and local public lands. These individuals, groups, corporations and partnerships will be honored at an awards ceremony to be held September 14 at the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC.

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, congratulating the winners, said, “These award winners are outstanding examples of public land stewardship. By giving their time and resources to enhance the public lands, they truly embody the mission of the Take Pride in America program. The winners are creating lasting legacies within their communities.”

“The nominations were outstanding examples of the hard work and generous donation of time by volunteers across our country. This is an exciting time of year because we can celebrate and thank volunteers for their service to our public lands,” Cangelosi said. “It is an honor to invite our 2006 award winners to Washington, DC to be recognized for their continued commitment to our parks, refuges and recreation areas.”

Today’s winners represent ten categories, with winners in the Federal Land Manager category to be announced later this month. The volunteer projects range from an individual who arranged for elementary students to plant a vegetable garden for seniors to a large scale beach cleanup involving 6,400 volunteers who removed 235,000 pounds of debris in three hours.

The panel of judges selected the winners from nominations representing individuals, groups and projects in 32 different states. The judges, representatives of government agencies within the Department of the Interior, scored the applications based upon the scope of their work, the measurable impact of their results, their collaborative partnerships and their demonstration of the mission of Take Pride.

About Take Pride in America®
Take Pride in America, an initiative of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is a nationwide partnership program which inspires Americans to volunteer in caring for their public lands. Their goal is to instill an active sense of ownership and responsibility in every citizen for natural, cultural and historic resources, and to support and recognize the efforts of those who volunteer for public lands. Through a web-based search engine, Take Pride offers a database for short-term and long-term volunteer projects on public lands, as well as assistance for project planning. Additionally, Take Pride rewards exceptional volunteer service by individuals and groups with awards and appreciation certificates. For more information, visit www.TakePride.gov.